The modern concept of selecting publications for the research library collections

Abstract

In recent decade, the collection development expert system has been introduced into acquisition practice at the RAS Library for Natural Sciences CLS. Its major components are: the «experts’ institute», information base (Russian Book Chamber database, publishers’ information), and evaluation system. The system long-term successful operation is provided by simple and friendly interface, both for experts and acquisition librarians and applied technological solutions. Implementation of the system enables to solve a series of problems of research libraries: prompt informing scholars on the works published in the country, developing library collection that meets users’ information needs to full extent. The statistical data obtained from the expert system enables acquisition librarians to clarify selection criteria for nonperiodic domestic publications, to form the list of publishers, whose products are mostly demanded by scholars, important subjects and documents corresponding them. The statistical data for 2008–2017 (the experts’ roaster, the scope of their research interests; information of participants of domestic market of scholarly literature; data on scholarly publications demanded by scholars, etc.) are presented in the paper and conclusions are made upon them.